Leaving on a Jet Plane
Four more sleeps and counting… How long it seems that we have all been waiting for the worlds borders to open up and some sense of normality to return? My backpack has been gathering dust for two and a half years and this morning it is about to be resurrected from the bottom of the wardrobe for a short trip later this week and I’m starting to get excited.
I haven’t been overseas since Dec 2019 when I had that last monumental fuck up flying to Hong Kong and missing the connecting flight to Israel, only to return to Godzone 37 hours later. That major balls up dented my traveling confidence somewhat and returning home to find that none of the $7K I had spent on that trip was recoverable despite having three different insurances in place when I left, was a bitter pill to swallow. Secretly I was relieved the borders were closed with Covid because it gave me time to lick my wounds and concentrate on developing my piece of paradise here.
When the country started to open up last year, I thought I would ease myself back into travel mode and booked a long weekend to the Aussie outback to visit my son who was there at the time . Two weeks out from departure, and the country’s borders shut down again so my ticket, like hundreds of other would be travelers went into the Air NZ credit pile to be used at a later date.
It’s been a tough six months for the old cougar really, a bit of a personal crisis earlier in the year and a badly fractured foot back in April that has seen me incapacitated at home and rely on others much more than I normally would have ,working reduced hours and unable to drive anywhere for weeks on end, I had nearly resigned myself to not being able to redeem that credit before its Jan 23 expiry date. I’m still as lame as a cat, heading to bed at 7.30pm most nights in an effort to rest the foot that refuses to heal and as broke as 40 bastards following all that down time. My mojo has been at an all-time low and traveling was the furthest thing on my mind to be truthful. Sitting around the smoko table at work about 6 weeks ago, a young bloke across the table from me mentioned that he too had an unused credit with Air NZ and was about to enter his busy time so was unsure it that would be redeemed. I seized the opportunity to float the idea of a short trip away together. It didn’t seem an odd suggestion to me, age has always only been a number (I have children older than this young toy boy), and I have always been of a spontaneous nature. He on the other hand is much more conservative than myself, very orderly bordering on OCD, and plans things to the enth degree. To the outside world and in the cold light of day when I thought about that on paper it was a trainwreck in the making. But guess what – we are doing it!
For four days in Sydney next week the sugar mommy and the toyboy are stepping out of their mundane lives to push their own boundaries and enjoy some time away. This is a purely platonic relationship where two souls enjoy each other’s company , and are taking a chance on sharing an experience that will be sure to be like no other. For the first time in 14 years, I will have a handsome young escort on my arm as I swan around the foyer of the Capitol theatre sipping champagne in anticipation of the curtain going up on the musical Moulin Rouge we are booked to attend. I look forward to hearing his thoughts on all those burlesque moves and glorious costumes that will no doubt be a part of the slick production the reviews are saying it is. I’ve already warned him, I will need a nap in the afternoon to stay awake for the show and that’s probably a good time for him to go down to the bar to test out the tinder uptake on the other side of the Tasman. We have separate suites so God willing I might try and get the odd swipe in my self and see if I still have it!
Whatever the result, by Sunday we will know if that was a good idea or a nightmare one but either way, we wont die wondering.
Watch this space…..
